Of Taverns and Hugs
by Zombiifissh
Summary: Wherein Hiei is confused about his feelings for Yusuke, who is flirting with him, and Kurama, who he likes. Kurama mistakes Hiei's feelings and generally makes a mess out of things. Cute!
1. The Rose Whip Tavern

**This was a birthday fic for nekoluver. I kept on postponing writing it, so it was a bit late, seeing as I meant to give it to her at her party, but succumbed to the need for sleep and finished it the next day. I'm currently typing this up at 8 in the morning, after pulling an all-nighter, trying to milk out every last second of online-time I have, seeing as this isn't my house, or my computer, heh heh. Forgive me for any typos; I'm very tired and very hungry, not to mention my back is KILLING me, so you'll understand… right? **

Hiei walked quickly through the crowded dark streets, paying no heed to the humans he was basically plowing through. It was dusk, and he knew that Kurama would be at his "job" by now. He wasn't exactly sure what Kurama did or where he worked, but by following his unique distinguishing aroma, he knew he could find him.

Hiei came to a stop in front of a glazed brick building decorated with various colors of roses. Above the door was a sign that read "Rose Whip Tavern." Hiei sighed. This was Kurama's place, all right. He pushed open the door and walked inside.

Inside was a long, rectangular room with tables all along the walls. On the left was a long, continuous table with many bottles and taps behind it. There were stools in front of it, and the lighting for the entire bar was a dull, romantic red. The main theme for the decorations was roses.

Hiei looked around for Kurama, his eyes passing by all the tables with only humans at them. He looked at the bar last, where there was a crowd of giggling girls at the corner, all gushing about how hot the bartender was. Hiei rolled his eyes and took the nearest available seat to the group without being trampled. He made a noise of disgust in his throat. For some reason unknown to Hiei, he always felt sick and bitter whenever he saw Kurama with girls. He would have dismissed this as contempt for humans, but this feeling occurred with demon women as well, and that confused our poor little fire demon greatly.

He knew that Kurama had noticed him as soon as he'd walked inside; the fox knew Hiei's scent as well as Hiei knew Kurama's. He waited impatiently for Kurama to come to him, watching the crowd rather resentfully.

Kurama somehow miraculously pulled himself away from the crowd and smiled at Hiei. Hiei stopped glaring at the group and looked at Kurama. He always felt like flying when the fox smiled at him like that, but he would never let himself show that.

"Hiei!" Kurama greeted gleefully. "You've finally come to see me at work! How do you like it?" he asked, leaning across the bar to talk to Hiei.

"I have to say, Kurama, it's painfully obvious that this place's decorations are _your_ work," he commented. "But it's impressive that you serve demons here as well," he said lowly, glancing at the demons in disguise mingling with the humans. "I'm surprised that this place isn't a mad house." Kurama laughed at this.

"Hiei, I believe that was a compliment. Thank you," he said smiling. "I'll let you in on a little secret. It's the smell of the roses that prevents fights from breaking out here. My own special-grown flowers," he said quietly but pridefully. Their conversation was interrupted by the fangirl group squealing at being ignored.

"Shuichiiii," one of them whined. "I need a refill! Come here and give me one!" Kurama walked to the girl with an apologetic look at Hiei as he filled her glass with a clear beverage and handed it back to her. The rest of the group glared daggers at Hiei as Kurama walked back to him and began talking again.

"So, Hiei," he began a little sadly. "There must have been some reason for you to come and see me, right?" Hiei nodded.

"Yes, but I don't think your little _fanclub_ will let us talk," Hiei said vehemently. Kurama sighed and nodded.

"Right. Well, my shift is over at midnight, which is in about three hours, so come and see me then, okay? I hate to do this…" Hiei nodded understandingly. He stood and left Kurama staring sadly after Hiei with his crazy fangirls. Hiei walked out into the cooling night air, wondering what he was going to do for three hours. He leaped onto the roof of Kurama's bar and decided to just wait there for the time to pass. He lay down and relaxed, mulling over the reason why he came to see Kurama in the first place.


	2. Dreaming

Hiei sat up when people (mostly giggling girls) started milling out of the bar. He peeked over the edge of the building, looking down at the door, waiting for Kurama to come out. A few minutes later, he did, looking rather tired. He looked around and looked down, not finding what he was looking for.

"Hiei, I know you're here. I can smell you," Kurama said. Hiei jumped to the sidewalk beside Kurama. He glanced at his friend, who smiled.

"Do you have a place to talk?" Hiei asked blankly. Kurama nodded slowly.

"Do you know the way to my new house?" Hiei shook his head. "It's not far from here; two blocks away and we'll be there," he trailed off. "I assume you don't want to talk in the open air, since you think it's important enough that you came to find me, right?" he asked. Hiei nodded. '_There's always a reason with you. You never come to see me just to see me,_' Kurama thought sadly. He sighed. Hiei looked up at him.

"Hn?"

"We should get going." Kurama began to walk down the street, Hiei beside him.

They arrived at the house in silence. Kurama had moved in after he'd gotten the job, or so Hiei had heard. It was a decent place, or it would have been, if not for all the rosebushes out in front. '_What _is _it with you and roses?_' Hiei thought exasperatedly. He waited, tapping his foot, as Kurama unlocked and opened the door. He walked in and slid off his shoes. Hiei followed him.

"Shoes off, Hiei," Kurama said. Hiei rolled his eyes but kicked off his boots all the same. Kurama walked to the kitchen after turning on the lights. Hiei looked around while Kurama rummaged in the fridge.

To the right was the living room. Most of it was white, except for the wooden furniture. To the left was the kitchen and dining room. They were both mostly silver and blue. Why humans chose to live in such unnecessary conditions was beyond Hiei. A cave of a tree was good enough for _him_. His thinking was interrupted abruptly.

"You _can_ come in, Hiei. Please, sit down," Kurama offered politely, carrying two cups of some steaming liquid to the table. Each pulled up a chair across from the other. Kurama slid one cup across the table to Hiei. Hiei took it and sipped a bit.

"Tea," he said. "I suppose you brewed it yourself?" Kurama nodded.

"It takes too long to do it the right way, so I chill it and save it for later. It doesn't taste as good, but it's not horrible." He sighed. "Now… what was it that you needed me for, Hiei?" Hiei gazed into his cup, unsure of how to say what was troubling him. He frowned.

"Well… It's Yusuke."

"What about him?"

"I… I don't know what he's doing. He's begun to act very… strangely around me." Kurama cocked his head and frowned.

"Strangely… how?"

"Mmm…" Hiei mulled it over. "Well, do you remember the last mission we all had together?" Kurama thought about it. The last mission had been especially long; for four weeks the team had had to hunt a group of particularly nasty demons that could change their shape to disguise themselves. Due to an unfortunate accident, Yusuke and Hiei had been separated from the other two halfway through the mission. Everything had worked out, however, and they had all met back up at the end. Kurama nodded.

"Well, ever since then, he's... he's been… _extra_ friendly… He keeps saying things, Kurama! He keeps getting close to me, and then he'll look at me and smile! What's gottn into him?" he blurted out.

"You… don't understand?"

It was Hiei's turn to cock his head. "Understand… what?" Kurama looked down. He'd been afraid of that. He folded his hands and looked back up at Hiei sadly.

"Hiei, he _likes_ you." Hiei still didn't understand.

"Well, I like him too, but that's no reason to get three inches from my face!" Kurama blanched.

"You… like him too?" He braced himself for the answer.

"Well, sure, but I don't understand what he's doing…" Kurama felt his chest clench up. The faint hope he held that he and Hiei could be together shattered in his mind. He sipped his tea shakily. Hiei blinked at him. "Kurama, are you ill? You're pale," he said, slight concern in his voice.

"I'm fine," Kurama responded miserably. Hiei moved around the table and pulled Kurama to his feet, surprised at how easily he moved. He shook his head.

"You need rest. Which room do you sleep in?" Hiei half-carried him down the hall.

'_Like you care._' "Hiei, stop. I'm fine, honestly. I can do it my—" Kurama felt his knees collide with the floor. He looked up and saw Hiei standing over him with his hands up. He sighed and looked away. "The last room on the right," he said, pointing. Hiei pulled Kurama up again and walked him to his bedroom. He helped him to his bed and sat Kurama down.

'_That's one way to prove a point, Hiei,_' Kurama thought. "You know, a little sleep might not be so bad…" He yawned and laid down. Hiei walked to the wall and sat down, watching Kurama. The fox was asleep in a few minutes.

Hiei stood up and ghosted to the foot of Kurama's bed. Kurama was looking better already, to Hiei's relief. He hated to see Kurama in pain of any kind; and inwardly protested whenever he volunteered to fight, knowing he would somehow manage to be injured. He'd usually take at least one hit on purpose to get a feel for the enemy's power, and even if Kurama was precise enough to miss his vital organs, seeing him cringe whenever the hit took more out of him than he expected tore Hiei up on the inside.

Hiei started as Kurama groaned and gripped the blanket. He moved immediately to Kurama's side, wondering whether or not to wake him. He reached for Kurama's shoulder to wake him up, but stopped short as he heard Kurama murmur his name. he felt his face grow hot when he realized Kurama was dreaming about him.

"I'm here, Kurama," he said quietly into his ear. He looked on as Kurama quieted and relaxed, sighing his name once more. Hiei turned and leaned against the bed drowsily. He didn't even notice his eyelids drooping until he was nodding off, but by then he really didn't care.


	3. A Blow and A Bruise

Hiei was first to wake. He sat forward slowly, wondering where he was until he turned and saw Kurama sleeping lightly on the bed. He rubbed his eyes and stood up, smiling a little. He tiptoed out of the room and into the dining room. Noticing the teacups were still out, he cleared the table and dumped the tea into the kitchen sink. He looked around curiously. Since Kurama was sick (at least to Hiei's knowledge), and would be getting up soon, he would need food. He searched through the blue and silver cupboards to find something he could make for the ill fox. He reached the fridge and saw packaged strips of meat at the bottom of it. He picked them up. The package read "bacon."

'_Kurama should be able to stomach these,_' Hiei thought. He opened the package, took out a pan, and placed a couple of bacon strips on it. He looked over at the stove, knowing its use was involved in the cooking of this bacon, then looked back at the bacon angrily. '_Blast these infernal human contraptions! I have no idea in hell they work!_' Hiei studied the stove for a minute before giving up and forming a cooking method of his own.

Kurama woke up pleasantly. He sat up and inhaled deeply, hunger rising to his belly as he smelled the bacon. He looked out of his bedroom and heard the tell-tale sizzling coming from the kitchen. '_Hiei… cooking?_' he thought confusedly. He looked into the kitchen, witnessing the strangest thing he had seen in a long time.

Hiei was sitting in the middle of the kitchen floor, holding a frying pan on the palms of his hands, and using his ki to create flames, which were frying the bacon. His back was turned to Kurama.

"Hiei..? What are you doing?" Kurama asked incredulously. Hiei turned where he sat.

"I'm cooking you breakfast, fox, what does it look like?" Hiei said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Kurama snorted, then burst into laughter at the sight. Hiei growled, his energy flaring. "_What_ is so funny, Kurama?!" he growled angrily. Kurama laughed harder and pointed at the little demon. Hiei's ki flared again, and the bacon was suddenly engulfed in a three-foot-high flame. Hiei jumped and released his aura quickly, looking at the bacon, which had been reduced to black powder. He looked over his shoulder to glare at Kurama as if it were the Youko's fault. Kurama gingerly took the pan and set it on the stove.

"How about we go out for breakfast? My treat," Kurama said, smiling and stifling giggles. Hiei took on a face that very much resembled a pout and stood up.

"All right," he said sulkily.

After a breakfast at a mediocre restaurant (in which no bacon was ordered), the two mutually decided to just walk around the town for a while. They talked idly as they walked, lifting both demon's spirits a little. The two strode past an alley, chuckling. They stopped and listened when they heard the sounds of a fight deeper down the alley. Curious, they walked towards the sounds to find Yusuke and Kuwabara standing over about five other bloody guys. Yusuke noticed Hiei and Kurama first. His face lit up.

"Hey guys!" he called. Kuwabara noticed the others after Yusuke yelled. He waved. "Hey Kurama… Hiei," Yusuke greeted, his eyes lingering on Hiei. Hiei looked away.

"Hello, Yusuke," Kurama returned politely. "Hello, Kuwabara."

"Are you two doing anything?" Yusuke asked.

"Not really," Kurama replied.

"Cools! Mind if we tag along?"

"I… don't see… why not," Kurama said haltingly.

"Awesome!"

"Heh heh! Ya hear that, shorty? You gotta put up with us now!" Kuwabara teased.

"Just stay away from me." Hiei was already back inside his shell.

"Aw, come on, Hiei, lighten up!" Yusuke threw and arm around Hiei and leaned on him playfully. Hiei shrugged him off, irritated. Kurama twitched in jealousy.

The day progressed slowly. The four of them walked aimlessly through town, Kuwabara being loud as usual, Hiei being antisocial as usual, and Yusuke dropping subtle flirts to Hiei while Kurama got more and more frustrated with him.

The four (mostly Kuwabara) decided to stop at Keiko's ramen stand for a late lunch. They ate together, Hiei and Kurama skipping on the actual food. Hiei was gradually becoming more uncomfortable as Yusuke's comments became less subtle. Kurama had finally had enough. He stood.

"I just remembered—I have a place to be," he said after Yusuke's latest attempt to flirt with the fire demon. "Please excuse me."

"Hey, no problem. See you later, Kurama," Yusuke said, turning to Hiei. Hiei, however, was looking past Yusuke to Kurama. He looked upset as he walked away.

Kurama was mildly disgusted with himself. '_How could you let your jealousy get the better of you like that?_' he thought angrily at himself. '_Ugh! You should be happy for Hiei; if he likes Yusuke, he'll eventually open up to him and they'll be happy together!_'

'…_But the fact that he was already so open with you…_' the Youko in him interjected slyly.

'_Stop. We're being conceited and reading too much into small things,_' he argued with himself.

Hiei ducked under Yusuke and caught up to Kurama. He thought that Kurama's illness had caught up with him, and reached up to touch Kurama's shoulder. Kurama twitched and whirled around.

In his agitated state, he acted without thinking. As he turned, he extended his arm and struck Hiei across the face, throwing Hiei's head to the side. Both pairs of eyes grew wide. Hiei slowly brought up a hand to gingerly touch the left side of his face where Kurama had hit him. Yusuke had followed after Hiei and was now at his side, holding his shoulders.

"Hiei, are you all right? Kurama! Why would you—!" Yusuke's indignant words were stopped in his throat when he saw the absolutely mortified expression on Kurama's face. Kurama shook his head and backed away before he took off running at top speed. Yusuke stared for a moment before turning back to Hiei. And ugly bruise was spreading across his left cheek. He hadn't moved an inch.

"Wh-what the hell just happened, Urameshi? I thought he was on our side!" Kuwabara said, speaking of Kurama. Hiei spoke at length.

"We have to find him. He's…sick," he said quietly, shifting to a more comfortable standing position but never taking his hand from his face. "Detective, you go that way." He pointed behind him. "Idiot, you go that way." He pointed to his left. "I'll go this way." Kuwabara growled at being called idiot, but didn't argue, walking off in the direction Hiei had pointed, grumbling. Yusuke wasn't so quick to agree.

"Hiei, I could go with you," Yusuke offered.

"What are you getting at? I don't need help in my search," Hiei said. It was true, he could just follow Kurama's scent; he'd just pointed the other two in the wrong direction on purpose so that he could be alone for a while before he found Kurama.

"Hiei, I… I want to go with you." He put his hands on Hiei's shoulders again.

'_Why do you keep touching me?_' Hiei thought. '_You're not the one I want! I don't want to see _you'

"Hiei, I want to be with you… together." Hiei's eyes widened as Yusuke pulled him in and hugged him. Hiei pushed him away not even a second later.

"Detective, I don't know what's gotten into you, but you'd better get it out of your head! I don't want _you._ Go be with Botan, or Keiko, or even Kuwabara! Leave me alone so I can search for Kurama!" With the last word, Hiei sprinted off in the direction of Kurama's scent, leaving Yusuke alone in the middle of the street.

Hours passed before Hiei could pinpoint Kurama, even with the Jagan. '_Curse you, fox! He really knows how to conceal himself,_' Hiei thought as he sped toward a group of tall buildings. He hopped to one of the lower rooftops, leaping from roof to roof, eventually closing in on Kurama.


	4. Hugs and Kisses and Lovesicknesses

It was dark before Kuwabara went back to the ramen stand, hoping to meet up with somebody there. He spotted Yusuke sitting rather miserably at a bench. He walked over to him.

"Hey Urameshi. Looks like you had no luck either," he said. Yusuke shook his head.

"Didn't even try." Kuwabara blinked.

"What? Why?" he asked wildly. Yusuke stared at the ground.

"You saw… what he did to Hiei." '_To _my_ Hiei… No, not mine. I have no claim on him whatsoever,_' he thought afterwards.

"That's no reason not to do anything about it! Urameshi, you idiot! Anyone could see that they were together!" Kuwabara exclaimed, pulling Yusuke into a headlock.

"Kuwabara, get off! If everyone could see it, then why couldn't I? How did I miss that, when I wanted to be with Hiei myself?!" This shocked Kuwabara into letting his headlock go.

"What?! You?" Yusuke sulked.

"Yeah. And you know what he said? He said, 'I don't want YOU. Go be with Botan, or Keiko, or..!" he stopped before saying anymore and looked away.

"Or… what?"

Yusuke grunted. "He told me to be with you," he said in a rush. He crossed his arms. Instead of the incredulous reaction Yusuke was expecting, Kuwabara was very calm. He looked at Kuwabara and found him staring at the ground.

"Stupid dwarf's perceptive," he said quietly.

"Perceptive? What does that mean?"

"It means he knew the whole time, Urameshi! He knew even from the beginning that I…I like you. A lot. Okay?!" This caught Yusuke off guard.

"Kuwabara… I never knew…"

"Well of course not! You're not a freakin' mind reader like he is!" he said, embarrassed. Yusuk looked away.

"I see… Well… After all of this is over, I could… we could, you know, go and grab a bite to eat sometime. You know… together," Yusuke offered, trying to help his best friend cheer up a bit. Who knew, he might even enjoy it himself. Kuwabara's face brightened.

"Seriously? You're the best, Urameshi!" he laughed, clapping Yusuke on the shoulder. Yusuke laughed a little at Kuwabara's sudden change of mood. "Heh! How's tomorrow at lunch then? Twelve o'clock noon!" Yusuke nodded.

"I'll be there, he said reassuringly. He smiled as Kuwabara hopped off the bench and strode away happily. He stood and walked in the opposite direction, towards his house. He didn't worry about Hiei, that demon had probably already found Kurama. "Heh. All crazy idiots."

The wind blew Kurama's hair into his eyes as he stood with one hand on the railing on the roof of a tall building. In his other hand he absentmindedly twirled a rose. He stared down at the city, listening to the wind.

Hiei stopped jumping roofs when he saw that Kurama had picked the very tallest building nearby to perch on. From even the next tallest building, there was no way he could jump that high.

'_Curse you… I'll have to climb it from the inside,_' Hiei thought. He leaped down from the top of the building and sprinted towards the tallest building. He threw open the door, earning surprised stares from the people inside. He ignored them, his eyes searching for the stairwell. He dashed to it and bolted up the stairs, his endurance wearing thin. He made it to the top and pushed open the door to the roof.

Kurama turned when he heard the movement behind him. He had been so absorbed in his thoughts he hadn't even noticed Hiei coming. He'd thought that he'd disguised his aura, then disregarded the notion. He knew that Hiei was good enough to find him no matter what he did. He wasn't expecting Hiei to come, though; in fact, he had expected to be shunned by Hiei.

"Kurama," Hiei said, breathing slightly harder than usual. Hours of frantic searching coupled with using the Jagan tired him out a little. He'd been searching the entire afternoon for the fox and was working hard not to show his exhaustion. Unfortunately for him, Kurama was very perceptive and noticed right away. His eyes lingered on the bruise on Hiei's left cheek and he flinched from the sight. "Kurama, what were you… I mean…"

A chill night wind cut across the roof top and Kurama shivered. "Kurama, you're sick. You need to get some rest," Hiei said, walking towards Kurama with a hand outstretched.

"Stay back, Hiei!" Kurama spat suddenly. Hiei froze, shocked at Kurama's vehemency. "Why are YOU here? Why would you come looking for me?" Hiei looked confused.

"I… wanted to see you," he said slowly.

"Why didn't you just stay with Yusuke? You like him; why did you come back to me? Do you know what that does to me, Hiei?" Hiei tilted his head.

"What are you talking about?"

"He flirts with you constantly, Hiei! And you don't even see it! You both like each other; why didn't you stay with him?" Hiei started.

"Flirts? I like him?" This was news to Hiei—then he remembered the last night's events. '_Did I say that?_' "Kurama…"

"Hiei, stop! I don't want to hear it! Just leave..! …Please…"

"Kurama, no!" Hiei ran to Kurama as fast as his exhausted legs would allow and caught Kurama around the middle in a flying hug. Kurama only had time to step back once. His eyes softened to their normal disposition.

"Hiei, what—?"

"If I like Yusuke, then the feelings I have for you must be…" he paused and blushed, cuddling into Kurama's chest to try and conceal it. "Let's just say I like you best." Kurama felt himself go red, and it felt like his heart was going to burst, it was beating o fast.

"But Hiei… What about Yusuke?" he asked quietly. Hiei turned his head and pressed it into Kurama's chest.

"I've taken care of that." He stopped, then looked up at Kurama worriedly, still blushing. "Kurama, you're pulse… Just what sickness did you catch?" Hiei asked. Kurama felt like his heart was going to leap out of his chest, he was so happy. He smiled.

"Only lovesickness, Hiei." He looked down and his smile faded. He touched Hiei's bruise lightly, wincing ten times harder than Hiei when Hiei winced. He held the other side of Hiei's face and leaned close to the fire demon's face. "I'm so sorry, Hiei," he whispered. He kissed the bruise so gently that Hiei only noticed the contact and not the pain. He blushed a brighter shade of red that matched Kurama's hair, then pulled Kurama's face around to meet his own. He broke it off quickly and shyly, and went back to hugging him. Kurama smiled and returned the embrace tightly.

"I… I love you, Hiei." Hiei nuzzled closer to him, and even through the fabric of his shirt, Kurama could feel a wide smile spread across Hiei's face. "My Hiei."

END


End file.
